Automatic gun trap



Jan. 3, 1939. R. E. BARNES AUTOMATIC GUN TRAP Filed Nov. 26, 1937 wnomwx Y Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention is in the nature of an automatic gun-trap for killing moles as they burrow along under the surface of the ground.

As is well known, moles are almost sightless and they are almost constantly in search of their favorite form of food, which is earthworms and the like. In quest of their food they burrow rapidly along immediately under the surface of' the ground, and thus raise ridges of earth which are quite unsightly and destructive to lawns. It is also the habit of the mole, after his burrows have been made, to traverse them back and forth continuously in search of his food.

It is the main purpose of the present invention therefore, to provide a form of trap-gun that may be readily located immediately above a mole burrow, the same including an oblong ground late carrying a short cartridge tube perpendicularly piercing the plate, and within which tube a cartridge of small calibre may be inserted for ring downward through the burrow over which the plate is mounted, a breech block arranged to close over the cap end of the cartridge, there being a spring-set ring pin slidably mounted through the breech block, a spring-set hammer or firing arm arranged to strike upon the head of the firing pin when tripped for that purpose, and a twin trigger mechanism arranged to be tripped by the animal, in whichever direction he may be travelling through the burrow, this trigger mechanism being so designed that it will not be operated to fire the cartridge until the animal is centrally located immediately below the cartridge.

Another object is to provide a trap-gun of the kind referred to', comprising an oblong ground plate, a cartridge tube set perpendicularly through the center of the plate, prongs extended perpendicularly from the predetermined under side of the plate and adapted for anchoring the plate in the ground over a mole burrow, a breech block pivotally mounted to close over the breech of the cartridgeA tube and inclosed cartridge, a firing pin slidably mounted through the breech block and adapted to operatively contact the cap of the cartridge seated in the cartridge tube, the firing pin being spring-set to normally rise from Contact with the cartridge, means for releasably latching the breech block in closed or firing posi-v tion over the cartridge tube, a spring-set hammer or ring arm arranged when released to strike the firing pin, and trigger arms extended over each end of the ground plate and pivotally mounted thereon with their inner ends to mutually control the operation of the firing arm so as to hold 55. it inactive until both trigger arms have been moved for that purpose, and ground or operating plates or disks extended downward at the outer ends of the trigger arms for positioning upon the depressed mole burrow, whereby when the animal passes through the burrow from either direction, 5- the ground disks are successively raised and the trigger arms successively operated for releasing the firing arm and ring the cartridge.

With the foregoing and such other objects and advantages in View as will appear from the following specification, attention is now directed to the accompanying drawing as part of the specification, and wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the trap-gun, shown as mounted in the ground over a mole bur- 15 row, the trigger arm at the right side or end of the ground plate being tripped up at its outer end and down at its inner end, as would occur when an animal passes underneath the ground disk at the right end, and whereby the inner end 20 is released from the end of the firing arm although that arm is still maintained in its inoperative position by the trigger arm at the left which is still in its set position.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the assembly of 25 Figure l.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail of the cartridge tube, breech block and ring pin, and the releasable latch for 30 the breech block.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, the gun-trap comprises an oblong ground plate I provided with a number of perpendicularly extended ground or anchoring prongs 2 designed for thrusting into the ground astride the mole burrow 3 with the ground plate disposed longitudinally therealong. Through the center of the plate I is rigidly and perpendicularly set a cartridge tube 4 adapted for receiving in firing position a small calibre cartridge 5 with the cap` end thereof turned upwardly as shown in Figure 3, so that when red the pellet will pass directly through the center of the burrow.

A breech block 6 is pivoted laterally at l upon 45 the ground plate, and is adapted to close over the upper end of the cartridge tube and the inserted cartridge 5. This block has the raised knob 8, and a small bore 9 is formed down through this knob and opens into the cartridge tube in cpera- 50 tive alignment therewith, when the block is closed.

A ring pin I0 is slidably seated through the bore 9 with its lower or inner end adapted to strike the cap of the cartridge 5 when the pin is struck and thereby forcibly depressed for that purpose.

The pin II) is spring-set as shown at I I in Figure 3 so as to stand normally elevated and clear of the cartridge. The free end of the breech block 6 is notched out through one side, as shown at Sa, for engaging the upstanding and threaded end of the bolt I2 which is anchored in the plate I oppositely to the pivot l, in such position that when the block is fully closed over the cartridge tube, a nut I3 may be turned down upon the bolt for firmly locking the breech block in operative position, with the firing pin I8 directly in alignment with the cartridge tube, ready for firing.

Immediately at one side of the plate I and in transverse alignment with the cartridge tube are located and extended from that margin of the plate, a pair of brackets or lingers I4 in co-operative relation, their upper ends being brought relatively close together while their bases are flared further apart so as to provide a clearance therein between, for a purpose to be explained. A third similar finger or bracket I5 is mounted at a substantially spaced point on the plate I from the fingers I4 and in longitudinal alignment therewith, al1 of said lingers being of equal height and lying in a plane extended perpendicularly to the plate I.

An elongated firing arm or hammer I6 is provided, the same being constructed of a strip of at metal twisted intermediate its ends ninety degrees, at a point spaced from its predetermined lower end about one-third of its length, and at this point positioned between the upper ends of the iingers or brackets Ill. A bearing pin I'I is then passed transversely through the three brackets I4 and I5 and also through the interposed iiring arm I6, whereby the latter is pivotally or rotatably mounted in place and so that the longer reach Ia of the firing arm will extend out over and be adapted to contact the upper end of the ring pin I when the arm is turned or rotated to a position approximately parallel with the plate I, while the shorter reach I6b of this arm will approach the margin of the plate I when the arm is turned up or back vertically to its operative position for firing, this latter position being necessary in the setting of the trap, as will be later explained.

A coil spring I8 is seated over the bearing pin I'I between the finger or bracket I5 and the adjacent bracket I4, the ends of this spring being looped at Ia-Ib around the bracket I and the firing arm I6 respectively, in such manner that with the spring wound or properly tensioned, its normal reactive torque will operate to throw the longer reach Ia of the ring arm forcibly over into contact with the head of the firing pin I0, when the ring arm is first set and then released for that purpose.

A pair of ilat, twin trigger arms Iii-Illa are pivotally mounted at approximately medial points thereon, as indicated at 2li-20a, to the up-standing ears 2I-2Ia of the brackets 22-22a fastened to the upper face of the plate I, in such manner that these trigger arms will extend angularly across the ends of the plate and over to the same side thereof, back of the pair of brackets I4, where these ends of the arms are then turned sharply inward in a parallel yet spaced relation between the flared bases of the brackets, where they are adapted to play up and down freely owing to their stated pivotal mounting on the ears 2I-2Ia. The inner extremities of the arms ISI-ISM, as positioned between the brackets I4, are notched on their upper edges as shown at 23-23a, as means for engaging and retaining in a set position the ring arm I6 when the shorter reach thereof I6b is turned downward toward the plate for that purpose. The arrangement and construction is such that when the said short reach ISb is turned downward perpendicularly to the ground plate I, as for setting the trap-gun, the relatively wide extremity of that reach will readily pass in between the flared bases of the brackets I4 and fall automatically into the latch notches 23-23a when the extremities of the arms I9-I9a are elevated, and will be there held or latched until again released in a manner to be explained. The outer Vends of the trigger arms I9--I5a are turned perpendicularly down and freely over the ends of the plate I at medial points of the ends of the plate, and ground or operating disks or plates 2li-24a are rigidly mounted at the lower extremties of these outer ends of the trigger arms. The manner of angularly turning down the ends of the trigger arms is clearly indicated at 25 in the drawing. The operating or ground disks are disposed in planes substantially parallel to the plate I, ,and they are arranged and spaced so as to rest upon the top of the depressed burrow 3 in the operation of the device. The plate I is to be of a length approximately equal to the length of the common mole, that is to say about six or seven inches. The weights oi' the disks 24-24a serve to normally depress the outer connected ends of the arms I9-I9a, so that the inner notched extremities 23--23a will stand in their raised position ready to engage the extremity of the short reach I6b of the ring arm, when the same is turned up and back for the purpose of setting the trap-gun.

In the operation and use of this trap-gun, the base plate is located longitudinally upon the mole burrow in the manner already described, where it is held in place by the ground prongs. In this operation the burrow itself is to be somewhat depressed by pressure applied to the ground plate, to the end that the mole in traversing the burrow under the trap-gun will be compelled to push his way through this depressed portion of his burrow, and which action will result in the springing of the trap and the ring of the cartridge.

With the cartridge mounted in its tube and the breech block closed thereover and latched in place as described, the firing arm is then turned perpendicularly up and back and so that the extremity of the lower and shorter reach thereof will automatically latch into the notches on the inturned extremities of the trigger arms, also as already explained. When the mole attempts to push or shove his way through his burrow, under the trap-gun, this action results in raising the depressed portion or top of the burrow on which the ground plate or operating disks are positioned as pointed out above, and this action operates rst the trigger arm immediately connected with the disk under which the animal is passing, and as the first disk is raised the inner notched extremity of the arm is thereby depressed and freed from engagement with the extremity of the short reach I6!)` of the ring arm. Still this arm is held inoperative in its vertical position by the remaining notched extremity of the other trigger arm, and will be so held until the animal pushes his way through the burrow and under the trap to a central position thereunder. At this point he reaches the other or remaining operating disk, and pushing same upward, releases the other latch extremity of remaining trigger arm, and thereby releases the ring arm which flies down and strikes the firing pin and res the cartridge, thus killing the animal.

It is thought that the operation and use of this device will be understood from the foregoing description and explanation. In recapitulation, the ground plate I is located longitudinally upon the mole burrow where it is held in place by the ground prongs 2 which are thrust into the ground astride the burrow 3. row itself should be somewhat depressed by pressure applied to the ground plate, to the end that the mole in traversing the burrow under the trap-gun, will be compelled to push his way through this depressed portion of his burrow, which action will result in raising the ground disks 2li-24a., releasing the firing arm I6 and iiring the cartridge down through the burrow and the mole located immediately thereunder.

The action of this trap-gun will be apparent from an inspection of Figure l. Assuming that the animal is moving along through his burrow from right to left under the device, he first shoves his way under the ground disk 24 and thereby raises that disk and depresses the inner end of the trigger arm i9, which movement releases the lower extremity of the short reach Iib of the firing arm from the notch 23. However, the

other trigger arm I9a remains undisturbed at this time, so that the notched extremity thereof 23o stills holds the iiring arm I6 to its upright or inoperative position. But as the mole continues to push his way along under the device,

g; he reaches the ground disk 24a, and pushing thereunder, raises that disk also and releases the notched inner extremity 23a from the short reach of the ring arm, whereupon that arm flies over and strikes the head of the firing pin iii which in turn is forced down upon the cap d: of the cartridge 5, ring same down through the burrow and the mole thereunder.

While I have herein set forth and described a certain embodiment of my invention, and certain structural features thereof, it is understood that I may vary same in minor details, not departing from the spirit of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the kind described, a at ground plate, means for anchoring the plate astride a mole burrow, a cartridge tube seated centrally through the ground plate, a breech yblock for positioning over the cartridge tube, the

block having a smaller bore than the tube and adapted to align therewith, a spring-set firing pin seated in the bore of the breech block, spaced brackets upstanding on the margin of the ground In this operation the bur-l plate laterally of the cartridge tube, a pair of trigger arms pivotally mounted on the ends of the ground plate, the outer ends of the arms being turned down over the opposite ends of the plate towards the ground, the inner ends of the arms being notched at their extremities and turned in between the bases of the upstanding brackets, ground disks at the outer depending extremities of the trigger arms, and a spring-set firing arm pivoted medially between the upper ends of the upstanding brackets, one end of the iiring arm being adapted to strike horizontally upon the head of the firing pin and the other end when turned vertically being adapted to engage-the notched ends of the trigger arms, whereby it is necessary that the ground disks be successively elevated in order to release the ring arm for firing the device.

2. A trap-gun for mounting over a mole burrow, the same comprising a ground plate, a cartridge tube mounted through the plate for firing a cartridge therein downward thro-ugh the burrow, a breech block for covering the cartridge tube, the block having a ring pin slidably seated therein, a spring-set firing arm arranged when released to strike the iiring pin, and co-operative means extended to opposite sides of the ground plate for mutually holding the ring arm in set position, whereby it is necessary to successively release both of the holding means in order to release the ring arm.

3. In a device of the kind described, a ground plate, trigger arms movably mounted on the plate with their outer ends turned freely over opposite sides of the plate, ground disks at the outer ends of the trigger arms and arranged to Contact the ground at opposite sides of the ground plate, and cartridge firing mechanism arranged upon the ground plate for firing a cartridge downward through an opening in the plate, said firing mechanism being mutually controlled by the inner ends of the trigger arms so that both trigger arms have to be moved in order to operate the cartridge ring mechanism.

4. In a device of the kind described, a ground plate having a central aperture therethrough, cartridge holding means mounted in the aperture of the plate for supporting a cartridge for firing through said aperture, cartridge iiring mechanism arranged upon the plate in co-operative relation to the cartridge holding means, and trigger arm controls for the cartridge ring mechanism extended over opposite sides of the ground plate, the arrangement being such that both trigger arm controls must be operated in order to operate the cartridge ring mechanism.

RAYMOND E. BARNES. 

